Method of making hose



Jupe 6, 1933. G. H. BARNES, JR

METHOD 0F MAKING HOSE` Filed Aug; 28, 19s;

' Patented June 6, 1933V UNITED srAfras PArEN'r Noi-Fica ammi* H. manna. or sirvan, mum, omo. Assrcmoii 'ro 'rim ooomriiaziiI 'man a nonnina coiniramr. or Axiioir, omo, a conroiwrloir oir omo immer or nimm nosa Application nieu August as, mi." semi in. 559,904.

This invention relates to the method of making hose and more particularly to the method of making cotton jacketed hose of relatively large diameters.

Heretofore in the reduction of cotton jacketed hose, a num r of methods have been employed with varying success.A In the most widely used prior method a section of rubber tube, approximately ifty4 feet in length, was formed and thereafter semicured in an o be produced y a number of methods, either by extrusion or by calendering up the rubber into sheets of the proper width and thereafter folding the sheet to form a tube. The semi-cured tube was then taken and coated with cement on the outside and backed with a thin sheet of unvulcanized rubber, after which the treated tube' was pulled through a braided cotton jacket. y The assembly was then vulcanized by passing the steam throu h the tube or hose, which steam was at su cient pressure to press 'the semi-cured tube and the gum thereon into intimate contact with the cotton jacket, in which position it was vulcanized. v i Y This laborious process was necessitated by the fact that the rubber tube initially formed had to be semi-cured to-be pulled through the cotton jacket. It was found that the semicured tube had to be backed' with the unvulcanized rubber sheet so `that an intimate bond would be secured between the rubber tube and the cotton jacket. This process entailed considerable labor and Was'slow and ineilicient. Moreover the hose obtained hadv an internal bore which was rough or corrugated due to the fact that the ressure of the internal curing steam forced t e rubber hose between the cords of the cotton jacket so that the hose offered considerable friction to the passa e of water therethrough. j It is an oject of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing difficulties and prior known methods of constructing cotton jacketed hose by the provision of a rapid, efficient, practical manner for constructing hose of this type.

Anotherobject of the invention is to rovide a method for manufacturing ose n vulcanizer; The tube could uthe cotton jacke bag, or other inflatable former, upon which the hose is constructed and vulcanized.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a method of producing cotton jacketed hose" wherein the step of semi-curing .the rubber tube is eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturing cotton jacketed hose, which method eliminates the step of backing the rubber hose with a sheet of "unvulcanized gum before it is inserted in Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved method of making hollow conduits or hose.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may now be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of ap aratus whereby the inventive method can he executed;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus illustrated-in Fi 1;

Fig. 3 is a ingitudinal cross-sectional view of a segment of the cotton jacketed hose with the air ag mandrel illustrated internally of the hose; and

Fi 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line V--IV of Fig. 3.

In practicing the invention, a long iexible airbag, or mandrel, which is indicated at 10 in the accompanying drawing, is provided,

'which airbag is of a composition similar to that of the ordinary airbag employed in the' vulcanization of pneumatic tires. The airbag has for its outer diameter the diameter 1 which will be given the internal bore of the finished hose, and the airbag may be formedl in any lengths which can be readily handled, which lengths are generally in the nei hbor- 'hood ofv fifty feet; however this lengt may be widely varied as found necessary or desirable.'

The airbag A0 is preferably first inflated although not necessarily so, and is thereafter .59 steam supply and exhaust by conduits 201and he airbag 10 with the layer or sheathing of rubber 11 thereon is now passed.- through a standard hose braiding machine which will apply a braided jacket 12, generall of cotton, over the laminated structure. t will be understood that the invention contemplates preforming a braided acket and-pulling the preformed jacket over the airbag 10 and ruber sheath 11. However, this is not the preferred method of construction.

The hose is now ready for the vulcanizing ste which is accomplished by inflating the air ,ag 10I with steam, or other suitable medium at curin tem erature and pressure. In this manner t e ru ber sheath 11 will be vulcanized securely to the inside of the braided jacket 12 and at the same time will be rovided with a smooth internal bore due to lts contact with the internal airbag 10. After the curing operation, 'the airbag 10 vill be deflated and removed from the cured ose.4 Y c While the method and articularly the vulcanizing operation may be performed by any suitable apparatus, the accompanying drawing illustrates one form of mechanism whereby the inventive method may be erformed, which apparatus includes a ong table 15 upon which the hose may be built and upon which it is adapted to be supported during the curing operation. The table is preferably inclined so that any condensation which occurs in the airbag 10 during the curing operation will drain to one end of the ,ba and will be discharged.

n order to pass steam, gas, or other curing iuid to the interior of the airbag 10, a pair of headers 16 and-17 are privided, which headers have steams chests 18and 19 which are connected' respectively toa sourceof 21. From the steam chests 18 and 19, pipes 22 and 23 extend to conical .plugs 24 and 25 which are adapted to be inserted inthe opposite ends of the airbag 10. Cooperating with the plugs 24 and 25 are plates 26 and 27 having circular openings therein so that the plates will slide over the ends of the hose and can thereafter be moved back 'to clamp the ends ofthe hose against the conical plugs 24 and 25. The plates 26 and `27 are clam edf-,in position by any suitable means whic may take thel form of a pair of hooked arms 30 and 31 which are moved longitudinallyaof the plugs 24 and 25 by screws 32 an 3 f In order to take care of any variations in.. length of the laminated hose to be cured the header 17 may be mounted u on rollers 35 vwhich ride upon track 36 so t at the header may be moved longitudinally of the laminated hose.

Steam, or other vulcanizing Huid, under vulcanizlng pressure andtemperature will be admitted to the header 16 through the conduit 20 and Ywill pass through the passage 22, conical plug 24, to the interior of the airbag 10, ,and from which itk will be remove through the plug 25, passage 23 and header 17, by way of the exhaust or return conduit 21. The cotton jacket 12 will support `the rubber 11 from the outside, while-the airbag 10 will support and mold the rubber 11 from the inside. the hose will be secured, as well as a good positive bond between the rubber 11 and jacket 12.` j It will be understood that the apparatus for performing the method may take a pluralit of forms without departing from the fundamental principles of the inventive method. For example, the airbag 10 may be closed and provided at its ends with valve stems which can be connected to a source of vulc-anizing steam. Again if found necessary or desirable, the cotton jacket 12 may be reinforced with a supporting mold during the vulcanizing operation.

It will thus be seen that a method for manufacturing hose having a braided jacket has been provided, wherein all semi-curing operations are eliminated. Moreover the method eliminates the necessity of all backing operations and produces a hose having a smooth internal bore. The operations are` erformed with a minimum of time, laboran materials and all steps of pullingy the partially cured hose through a braided jacket may be eliminated. f f

It will be understood that it is within the province of the invention to manufacture substantially any known type of hose by the improved process', which hose is, or is not, covered with a braided jacket, and which may, or may not, be provided with fabric reinforce- A ment. In certain constructions it may be necessary or desirable to support the outside of the hose during the vulcanizing operation.

More particularly the invention contemplates producing laminated hose having an Thus a smooth internal bore in internal tube of rubber, an intermediate layhose.

be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited, but that various modifications maybe made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

WVhat I claim is:

1. The method of making hose which comprises providing a long, hose-like flexible, vulcanized-rubbcr, airbag, forming a tube of unvulcanized rubber over the airbag, applying a 'fabric layer of reinforcing cord over the rubber tube, vulcanizing the hose thus formed by passing curing fluid or gas `at vulcanizing temperature and substantial pressure through the interior .of the airbag and thereafter exhausting and removing thev airbag from the interior of the hose.

2. The method of making hose which comprises providing a long, hose-like, vulcanized-rubber, airbag. forming a. tube includ- V ing unvulcanized rubber over the airbag, vulcanizing the hose thus formed by passing curing fluid at vulcanizing tempera/ture and substantial pressure through vthe interior of the airbag and thereafter exhausting and removing the airbag from'the interior of the 3. The method of making hollow conduits which comprises providing a long, hose-like, Hexible. vulcanized-rllbber, airbag, forming j a tube of unvulcanized rubberover the air- Mil bag, applying a fabric layer of reinforcing cord over the rubber tube, vulcanizing the hose thus formed by passing curing fluid at vulcanizing temperature and substantial pressure through the interior of the airbag.

Il. The method of making hose. comprising providing a tubular mandrel of vulcanized rubber, buildingr up an unvulcanized hose on the mandrel, vulcanizing the hose by passing duid at vulcan'izing temperatures and pressure through the interior of the mandrelV core, forming a sheathing of unvulcanizedv rubber over the rubber core, forming a reinforcing jacket over the rubber sheath, clamping the ends of core, sheath and jacket together, vulcanizing the sheathto thejacket by passing fluid at vulcanizing temperature through the interior of the core, unclamping the ends of the core, sheath and jacket and4 removing the core from the assembly leaving the sheath vulcanized to the interior of the jacket.

7. That method of making hose which complses providing a tubular, vulcanized-rubr core, forming a sheathing of unv'ulcan` ized rubber over the rubber core, forming a reinforcing jacket over the rubber sheath, clamping the ends of, the core, sheath and jacket together, vulcanizing the sheath to the jacket, unclamping the ends of the core, sheath and jacket and removing the core from the assembly leaving the sheath vulcanized to the interior of the jacket.

8. That method of making hose which comprises providingatubular vulcanized rubber core, forming a sheathing of unvulcanized rubber over the rubber core, forming" a reinforcing jacket over the rubber sheath, stretching the core, sheathand jacket by means secured to the ends thereof, vnlcanizing the sheath to the jacket by passing fluid at vulcanizing temperature through the interior of the core, said vulcanizing operation being performed While the assembly is held in the stretched condition and removingrthe core from the assembly leaving the sheath vulcanized to the interior of the jacket.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

Signed at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, U. S: IA., this 27th day of August, 1931.

GARRETT H. BARNES.JR. 

